28 posts tagged with First-Time-Home-Buyers:

In the latest Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia, they
explained that homeownership remains cheaper than renting with a
traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage in the 100 largest metro areas
in the United States.

The updated numbers show that the range is an average of 3.5% less
expensive in San Jose (CA), all the way up to 50.1% less expensive in
Baton Rouge (LA), and 33.1% nationwide!

A study by GoBankingRates
looked at the cost of renting vs. owning a home at the state level and
concluded that in 39 states, it is actually ‘a little’ or ‘a lot’
cheaper to own (represented by the two shades of blue in the map below).

One of the main reasons owning a home has remained significantly
cheaper than renting is the fact that interest rates have remained at or
near . . .

In a CNBC article, self-made millionaire David Bach explained that “the single biggest mistake millennials are making” is not purchasing a home because buying real estate is “an escalator to wealth.”

Bach went on to explain:

“If millennials don’t buy a home, their chances of
actually having any wealth in this country are little to none. The
average homeowner to this day is 38 times wealthier than a renter.”

In his bestselling book, “The Automatic Millionaire,” Bach does the math:

“As a renter, you can easily spend half a million
dollars or more on rent over the years ($1,500 a month for 30 years
comes to $540,000), and in the end wind up just where you started —
owning nothing. Or you can buy . . .

The Cost of Waiting to Buy is defined as the additional
funds it would take to buy a home if prices & interest rates were to
increase over a period of time.Freddie Mac predicts interest rates to rise to 4.4% by next year.CoreLogic predicts home prices to appreciate by 5.0% over the next 12 months.If you are ready and willing to buy your dream home, find out if you are able to! . . .

Home values have risen dramatically over the last twelve months. The latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors puts the annual increase in the median existing-home price at 5.6%. CoreLogic, in their most recent Home Price Index Report, revealed that national home prices have increased by 6.7% year-over-year.

CoreLogic broke appreciation down ever further into four
price ranges which gives a more detailed view than simply looking at the
year-over-year increases of the national median home price.

The chart below shows the four tiers and each one’s growth from July 2016 to July 2017 (the latest data available).

It is important to pay attention to how prices are changing in your
local market. The location of your home is not the only factor in
determining how much it has appreciated over the . . .

Here are four great reasons to consider buying a home today, instead of waiting.
1. Prices Will Continue to Rise

CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index reports
that home prices have appreciated by 6.7% over the last 12 months. The
same report predicts that prices will continue to increase at a rate of
5.0% over the next year.

The bottom in home prices has come and gone. Home values will continue to appreciate for years. Waiting no longer makes sense.

2. Mortgage Interest Rates Are Projected to Increase

Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey
shows that interest rates for a 30-year mortgage have hovered around
4%. Most experts predict that rates will rise over the next 12 months. The Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the National Association of Realtors are in unison, . . .

The
results of countless studies have shown that potential home buyers, and
even current homeowners, have an inflated view of what is really
required to qualify for a mortgage in today’s market.

One such study by the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania
revealed that many millennials have not yet considered purchasing homes
simply because they don’t believe they can qualify for a mortgage.

A recent article about millennials by Realtor.com explained that:

“About 72% of aspiring millennial buyers said they’re waiting because they can’t afford to buy…”

The article also explained that 29% of millennials believe their credit scores are too low to buy. The problem here is the fact that they think they will be denied a mortgage is keeping them from even attempting to apply.

Every three years, the Federal Reserve conducts their Survey of Consumer Finances
in which they collect data across all economic and social groups. The
latest survey, which includes data from 2010-2013, reports that a homeowner’s net worth is 36 times greater than that of a renter ($194,500 vs. $5,400).

The latest survey data, covering 2014-2016 will be released later this year. In the meantime, Lawrence Yun, the National Association of Realtors’ Chief Economist estimates that the gap has widened even further, to 45 times greater ($225,000 vs. $5,000)!

Put Your Housing Cost to Work for You

As we’ve said before,
simply put, homeownership is a form of ‘forced savings.’ Every time you
pay your mortgage, you are contributing to your net worth. Every time
you pay your rent, you . . .

Every summer, families across the country decide if this will be the year they sell their current house and move into their dream home.

Mortgage rates
have hovered around 4% for all of 2017, forcing buyers off the fence
and into the market, resulting in incredibly strong demand RIGHT NOW!!
At the same time, inventory levels of homes for sale have dropped
dramatically as compared to this time last year.

Trulia reported that “U.S. home inventory has tumbled 8.9% over the past year and has now fallen for nine consecutive quarters.” There is now 20% less inventory than there was five years ago.

Here is a chart showing the decrease in inventory levels by category:

Bottom Line

Demand for your home is very strong right now while your competition
(other homes for sale) is at a historically low level. If you are
thinking of selling in . . .